The present invention relates to an electric compressor installed in a vehicle, and more particularly, an electric compressor including an inverter and a cover with the inverter being covered by the cover and a shell of the electric compressor.
If a vehicle that includes an electric compressor crashes, the crash may damage an inverter housing (cover), which covers an inverter, and a high voltage unit of the inverter. This may cause electrical leakage.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-103100 describes an electric compressor including an inverter and a compressor housing. A projection projects from the compressor housing toward the engine. When the vehicle crashes, the projection hits the engine before the housing and the inverter. This lowers the possibility of the inverter housing and inverter hitting the engine and, in turn, raises the probability that electrical leakage will be avoided if the vehicle crashes.
However, peripheral devices arranged near the electric compressor may hit and break the inverter housing when the vehicle crashes. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-103100 does not discuss any resolution to such a situation.